§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether Mr. John E. Vernon, one of the Irish Laud Commissioners, was, up till the time of his appointment, agent for several properties in county Cavan; whether he did, on his appointment, transfer the nominal agency to his son, continuing to be himself the real manager of the properties; whether the Sub-Commission, presided over by Mr. Bomford, has been again sent to Cavan, al- 1793 though it was some time ago removed on the representation by Mr. Bomford and others that he had close personal relations with several landlords in the county; whether, at the recent Court held in Cavan, only four days' notice was given of the intention to hold such Court, twenty-one days being usual notice; whether it was, by the action of Mr. Vernon, that the Bomford, Hodder, and Weir Sub-Commission was sent to County Cavan; and, whether he will endeavour to have causes of complaint removed?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the Land Commissioners have favoured me with observations on this Question to the following effect:—Mr. Vernon, up to the time of his appointment, was agent for several properties in the county of Cavan. On his appointment as Commissioner, he resigned every one of those agencies into the hands of his principals. To some of them Mr. Vernon's son was appointed by the owners of the respective properties. Mr. Vernon has not since his appointment as a Land Commissioner, directly or indirectly, taken any part in the management of the estates referred to. The county of Cavan has been added to the district of Down and Antrim, and committed to a Sub-Commission of five gentlemen, of whom Mr. Bomford is one. The Commissioners have been informed by Mr. Bomford that he has not had any business relations with any landlord in Cavan from whose estate cases are listed for hearing before the Cavan Sub-Commission. There are two cases on the list, in which the landlord is a relative of Mr. Bomford, and in those cases Mr. Bomford will take no part whatever. It is true that a very short notice was unavoidably given of the sitting at the first town on the present Circuit; but the Sub-Commissioners had instructions not to press on any case where a bonâ fide objection was raised on the ground of shortness of notice. It is absolutely untrue that this Sub-Commission was sent to Cavan by the personal action, or at the special suggestion, of Mr. Vernon.